Thanksgiving is for Turkey; Everyday is for Dog Food!!!

When I was a little girl, for as far back as I can remember we always had Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandma & Grandpa Hudd’s house with the whole family; it’s one of my favorite memories! I remember that there were tables put together in the living room that spanned from one side to the other. I remember my cousin, Janet and I almost always sat together on top of the wood stove while the others packed in around us. I remember the smells of the season, the huge turkey on the table, all of the milk that was spilled, all of the laughter in the air and we all loved each other almost as much as the table full of pies in the kitchen. I also remember one year when my grandfather was late to dinner because he was out hunting… there was silence at the table as he came in the door half soused and plopped down in his chair. As my grandmother famously raised one eyebrow, all she could say was, “Oh Orie!!!” She was so mad at him but she’d never let on to us or get us upset. Way back then… life was truly magical and nothing could ever hurt us if we were together…

As I pull out another tissue, (sorry, great memories like that make me cry and I miss my grandparents so much) I suddenly feel the need to tell you about another family tradition…

My mom’s sister, Martha was the epitome of caregivers to her own and all of her siblings’ children. Aunt Martie had 4 children of her own yet never turned down an opportunity to babysit for the rest of us… all of us! She’d pick us up on a Saturday, load us up in the old Volkswagen bus and take us to her house. We played for hours together and about 4:00pm we’d start to smell the sweet scent of our favorite meal… DOG FOOD! When Aunt Martie made dog food we’d all race to the table to get the first helping and pray that there would be enough for seconds! Now… before you call child protective services on my poor, old aunt… she knew what kids liked and she mixed it all together; there was macaroni (we never called it pasta), cut up hot dogs, tomato soup, corn… I’m not sure what else, all I know is that it was delicious and we loved it! The fact that she called it dog food made it even more enticing!

On those nights, sleeping on the floor in her living room, all huddled together underneath the mounds of blankets, we had no idea that we were poor; all we knew was that our wonderful and kind aunt loved us all and hopefully we’d be able to come back next weekend! “Go to sleep you kids… the bus is leaving at 8 o’clock sharp for church in the morning and if you’re not on it; you’re not going!” We were always up and ready to go…

This is a true story and let me tell you… as we got older there were many more! In the interest of time though, I won’t even begin to share with you the story about the cats in the freezer or the spaghetti in the pockets or even the time when my cousin rolled in dog poop at a family picnic and my Aunt Martie put him in a trash bag, tied it around his neck and made him sit in the car & sweat… good times!

I would like to wish all of you a Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, good health and much joy. Remember your loved ones from holidays past and share your memories with the little ones; when they get older, they will cherish them as I do mine.

Here is a quick & easy recipe that I make for hors d’oeuvres every Thanksgiving; whether I am hosting or traveling home to be with my family…

Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

2 Containers Fresh Mushrooms

2 Boxes Store Purchased Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1 Stick of Butter

1/2 Large Roll of Uncooked Breakfast Sausage (or links without casings)

1 Cup Grated Romano Cheese plus more for Sprinkling

2 Eggs

2 T. Red Pepper Flakes plus more for Sprinkling

Wipe mushrooms with damp cloth to remove dirt. Gently twist stems to remove. Prepare stuffing using package directions, let cool. Chop mushroom stems. In medium saucepan, melt butter then cook mushroom stems until soft & golden. Transfer stuffing to mixing bowl. Add cooked mushroom stems, raw breakfast sausage, cheese, eggs and red pepper flakes.

With your hands, mix thoroughly until sausage is evenly distributed. Stuff each mushroom generously & place on un-greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cheese & red pepper flakes. Bake uncovered in pre-heated 350 degree oven 45-60 minutes or until cooked through & just starting to brown on top. Serve immediately.

May your holidays be filled with flavor!!!

Hot Pepper Sundays leave a lasting impression… is Montezuma Italian???

Before I met my husband, my girlfriend, Alyson (who was also single at the time) and I would get together every Sunday afternoon to watch movies; as singles, we knew that Sundays were a lonely day and vowed to spend ours together. Every week, she showed up with 3 movies to last us the afternoon and the exact same items were always on the menu:

1 750ml Bottle of Merlot (for Alyson)

1 750ml Bottle of Chardonnay (for me)

Fresh Italian Bread from the Bakery

Provolone Cheese so sharp it makes your gums sting

Sautéed Italian Hot Peppers (about ½ of a bushel)

Whether at her house or mine, a huge frying pan would be on the stove; one of us peeling a whole head of garlic and the other snapping stems off of the peppers. First thing’s first… OPEN THE WINE! We would sauté the peeled & coarsely chopped garlic in about ½ an inch of Olive Oil until it was just turning brown. Then we would throw in the Italian Long Hot Peppers and stir them around so they would all be coated with the oil. Wait… GLASS #2…

We’d throw in some crushed red pepper flakes, a handful of chicken bouillon powder, black pepper and garlic powder then give it another stir. With the heat on high, we would then pour in about 1 inch of the juice from a jar of Hot Cherry Peppers. As the steam erupted in the pan, we threw in some of the cherry peppers then were quick to slap on the lid and turn the peppers down low to simmer. Boy, I’m thirsty… GLASS #3…

As the smell of the simmering peppers wafted through the room, neither of us could concentrate on the movie; that’s how we knew they were done! We had 2 recliners side by side with an end table in between them. On it was now a huge basket of bread, a board filled with sliced Provolone and a frying pan overloaded with these red & green gems… WE’D BETTER FILL OUR GLASSES!

By the time the first movie was over, the frying pan would be empty. As Alyson started to cough and my eyes started to water, we shared the best part… we sopped up all of the flavored oil with whatever was left of the bread! Our mouths were on fire! IS THERE ANY WINE LEFT?

Here we were… two best friends creating a tradition; sharing our Sundays together. By movie number 2 we would both be sleeping but we were extremely content. She had seasoned me into becoming a champ at eating these delectable hot morsels and I was very proud… until about 3:00am that is…

My eyes would pop open and I would quickly wake from a sound sleep! I had all I could do to make it to the bathroom and I always spent the rest of the night right there; the great thinker! These peppers were kicking my butt and the wine was making my head pound; how could I do this to myself??? NEVER AGAIN!!!



The next day I always felt like a million bucks though; nice and trim and (err-uh) cleansed, with the faint smell of garlic still sitting in the air. AHHHHH Sundays… to this day, every time I smell garlic simmering I think of Alyson; she can eat an entire frying pan by herself now; always could! Me, on the other hand… my poor tummy just can’t take it anymore… 1 measly pepper with the seeds removed has me up for 3 days!

I read somewhere that Montezuma was some sort of Greek god or something but the real truth is that he was actually Italian… by injection, of course! His wife was straight off of the boat from Italy and she was the only one in all of the land who could grow the long red & green peppers that he loved so much. She cooked these peppers with bushels of fragrant garlic and he ate them everyday. One night while they were sleeping… someone ransacked the garden and stole every last one of her hot pepper plants. Upon discovering this the next morning, Montezuma called the village together for a meeting to see if anyone would admit to stealing his wife’s missing treasures. All inquiries were blatantly denied. He clenched his fists tight as rage ran through him and lightning smacked across the now blackened sky and he declared his revenge; great turmoil in the hollow of the belly of all common man whose lips should ever dare to touch one morsel of these beloved gems, causing relentless upset and discomfort for all of eternity! Hence; “Montezuma’s Revenge”!!!

If you’re into hot stuff… give ‘em a try; they’re worth it!

Not quite red; not quite white; something in between just right…

I went home to New York this past weekend for my dad’s birthday and to visit with some family and friends. I had been toying around with the idea of changing my hair color; I wanted a light red, not blonde but something like a pink champagne color… like strawberry. I had found the exact color that I wanted and for 3 weeks have been placing it into my shopping cart, taking it out of my shopping cart, placing it in… blah, blah, blah. I went to the store with my mom on Friday and she talked me into buying it. I carried the box around with me all weekend and after some prodding by 2 friends, 2 aunts, 1 mom and a cousin, I finally got my nerve up yesterday to actually do it. The verdict??? I LOVE IT!!! I am no longer washed out; I am warm strawberry… not quite white, not quite red… almost PINK… Sir Charles is going to flip out!!!

When trying to think of a recipe to celebrate my new ferocious, bad-ass & edgy self, my strawberry color reminded me of a story…

Many, many years ago there was a successful restaurateur in our little upstate NY berg; his name was Ralph and his restaurant was called Il Giardino (the Garden). He was busy every evening and almost all of his customers were local folks who frequented his establishment on a regular basis. The dining room and bar area had just the right lighting, white tablecloths and a touch of Hunter Green for an accent; it was cozy, warm and very comfortable. Ralph prepared traditional Northern Italian dishes that melted in your mouth and were consistently scrumptious each & every time you ordered them. One of the most charming things about this restaurant was that Ralph would come out of the kitchen every chance that he had to personally greet his diners. He knew everyone on a first name basis, would prepare all special requests and even send every table a round of cocktails to show his appreciation for their patronage. He was a stellar example of what an entrepreneur should be and I felt as if I were walking into his home each time I was there. This is where the PINK comes in…

One evening, my girlfriends & I decided to visit Il Giardino for dinner. I had ordered a classic; Veal Parmigiana with Pasta. After some Clams Casino and a nice Caesar Salad, Ralph himself brought the meals out to our table. Only mine wasn’t there. He immediately started to apologize and said that he’d had an “accident” with my dinner in the kitchen. As he knew that I was very interested in cooking, he escorted me to his kitchen to show me what had happened; it was not the first time that I had been invited in. On the stove where he usually had a pot of his mouth watering Marinara sauce and a pot of creamy Alfredo sauce was a huge pink mess (this was long before Vodka Sauce had been created). Apparently, he had slipped while holding the pot of Alfredo and the whole thing dumped right into the pot of Marinara! He asked me if I would mind ordering something else as he could not serve this sauce with the veal. After much contemplation, and with drinks in hand, we decided to make the best of it and we tasted this new concoction… it was absolutely delicious!!! So we took the tender, battered veal cutlets and laid them on a baking dish. We decided to top it with very thin slices of eggplant and tomato. We doused it all in the “Pink” sauce, topped it with fresh Mozzarella cheese and threw it in the oven until it was baked to a bubbly perfection… and there you have it… Veal Valentino was born!!! We were excited… two foodies with a new creation; what could be better than that? Veal Valentino ended up being a staple on his menu and today, every time that I prepare it I think of him. Good times Ralphie, good times…